September 7, 2011: Ordinarily, winning the rubber game of a three-game late season series against a first-place division rival that is still eight and a half games ahead, wouldn't create much excitement. However, thanks to the mysterious antics of one of the players on the losing team (Nyjer Morgan/Brewers), this victory for the St Louis Cardinals seemed to be the major catalyst Tony LaRussa's team needed to jump-start its incredible postseason run. So yes, on behalf of Cardinal Nation, I'd like to say "thank you" to Nyjer and his alter egos - T-Plush and T-Gumbo - just for being "you". It may take a while for Gumbo to receive this message since he now performs his comedy routine in Japan, after refusing a minor league assignment from his original employer - the Brew Crew. I wonder if the Japanese are digging "Plushdamentals" as much as Brewer Nation did just two short years ago?
The game itself was a matchup between a couple former Cy Young Award winners - Zack Greinke and Chris Carpenter - and on this night, it was Carp outdueling Milwaukee's ace with a complete game four-hit shutout, 2-0. Strangely enough, Carp had been only so-so up to this point in the season, and had been roughed up by the Reds in his last start. That would be the last game he'd lose in 2011.
As this particular game moved into the top of the fourth-inning, in a scoreless tie, the strange behavior of Nyjer Morgan manifested itself, for no apparent reason. With one out, Plush grounded a double down the right field line, which he celebrated while standing on second base with a barrage of expletives directed towards the Cardinals' hurler and anyone else wearing a St Louis uniform, for that matter. This tirade was just a warm-up for what would follow after his final AB in the ninth.
Meanwhile, after the Brewers failed to bring the Gumbo home to conclude their half of the fourth, Lance Berkman promptly whacked a leadoff double in the home half of the frame, and eventually came around to score on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Yadier Molina. Cards shortstop Rafael Furcal added an insurance run in the fifth-inning when he lined a leadoff homerun deep to right field, to put St Louis up, 2-0.
However, the 38,891 fans in attendance were quickly in nail-biting mode in the top of the sixth-inning when, with two outs and two runners on, Prince Fielder's long fly ball to the wall in right center field was flagged down by Jon Jay. Everybody exhale now.
With the score unchanged as the ninth-inning began, Nyjer Morgan faced Carpenter for the last time in the regular season, and came up empty this time, flailing at a third strike for out number one. As T-Gumbo began stalking in the direction of the visitor's dugout, he decided to take the chaw of tobacco out of his mouth and hurl it in the direction of the Cardinal pitcher, who by this time had his back to the plate, as well as the slimy projectile that was heading in his general direction. Of course, Albert Pujols caught Morgan's unsportsmanlike behavior and jogged towards the irascible Gumbo to exchange a few choice words. Now, a bemused Carp has finally realized how upset he made the Brewers' nutcase by fanning him, as more expletives (but no punches) are exchanged. The final two outs of the inning are quickly recorded, the shutout in the books; and more importantly, what would turn out to be a key win for the playoff-bound Cardinals.
The following day, Morgan (@TheRealTPlush) posts a grammatically-challenged 140 or less characters statement on Twitter, which went something like this: "Where (sic) still in 1st & I hope those cryin' (sic) birds injoy (sic) watchin' (sic) tha (sic) Crew in tha (sic) playoffs. Aaaarrrrhhhh (sic)!" This was beautiful. Gumbo has now pronounced the Cardinals to be completely out of the playoff picture; something the Baseball Gods never like. But I'm pretty sure the Cardinals got a big kick out of it, as they rolled through the remainder of the season, winning 14 of 19 - featuring an improbable three-game sweep of the now reeling Atlanta Braves at Busch Stadium (September 9 - 11).
Of course, for the Redbirds, the sweetest revenge was getting the opportunity to play T-Plush & Company in the six game NLCS; and winning the Game Six clincher right there in front of Gumbo's faithful Brew Crew minions at Miller Park. For Nyjer Morgan, who had a pretty good season for the Brewers in 2011 (.300+ BA), his major league career was rapidly coming to an end. His act had quickly gotten stale, on and off the field. The one-time folk hero had become zero; no longer able to perform his act in major league baseball. It's really a shame; he had talent, but fell in love with his colorful persona, which really had nothing to do with playing major league baseball.
The moral of the story: The game is bigger than any player who thinks otherwise. Eventually, they either get the message or get out. Some are lucky enough to still find work in Japan.
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Friday, August 23, 2013
August 23, 1982: This Date in St Louis Cardinals Championship History
August 23, 1982: In the first game of a three-game series between the host St Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Redbirds used timely hitting and capitalized on four Dodgers errors to cruise to an easy 11-3 victory. Every St Louis position player had at least one hit in the game, and with the exception of Tommy Herr and Ken Oberkfell, drove in at least one run. Reserve catcher Gene Tenace led the attack with four RBIs, while his battery mate, Bob Forsch (13-7) pitched 7.1 innings - was charged with three runs on seven hits; didn't walk any batters, and struck out two. In other words, a typical Bob Forsch game.
After the Cardinals jumped on Dodgers starter Jerry Reuss (12-10) for four runs in the third-inning, Forsch kept LA at bay through seven innings, holding a 5-1 lead entering the eighth. After yielding a run on two hits while retiring one batter, manager Whitey Herzog brought in relief specialist Bruce Sutter to nail the win down. Although an inherited runner scored on a two-base hit, making the score 5-3, Sutter was able to retire the next two batters to end the threat. The Cardinals made things easy for Bruce by plating six runs of their own in the bottom half of the eighth-inning, aided by more sloppy Dodgers defense.
Preserving an 11-3 win for the Cards may have been the easiest save (27) of Sutter's career. Still, by today's standards, a five-out save is considered almost heroic; perhaps even a bit desperate. Nowadays, most teams have specialists to nail down the final three innings. Herzog used Sutter in the highest leverage situations, and more often than not, the National League's premier closer and his remarkable split-fingered fastball delivered the save. In this particular outing, the future Hall of Fame relief ace struck out four batters in 1.2 innings of work. He allowed two hits (both doubles), walked none, and was charged with no runs. The Dodgers managed nine hits in the game, but with no free passes and no fielding miscues to capitalize on, they were unable to muster enough offense to threaten the future World Series champions.
The Redbirds dropped the final two games of the series at Busch Stadium to the Dodgers; the season series went LA's way as well in 1982, with the Cards winning five games, while losing seven. As it played out, the Atlanta Braves barely slipped past the Dodgers by a single game in the NL West that year, so it would be Atlanta - not LA - advancing to the NLCS to face the Cardinals. The Braves had to feel confident squaring off against the Redbirds, as they also held the edge in the season series - winning seven of the eleven games; however, the postseason is a different animal, and the Cards became beasts in sweeping Atlanta out of the postseason in three exciting NLCS games.
Whether or not the Cardinals would have whipped the Dodgers in a postseason showdown, as well, is anybody's guess. The showdown between the two iconic franchises would have to wait three years to become a reality. That one went decisively in favor of the Cards, four games to two. Many considered the 1985 edition of the Cardinals to be even better than the World Champions of 1982. Maybe Herzog's '82 squad got a bit lucky in the postseason; maybe not so lucky in '85.
Thanks to this shellacking administered by St Louis to Los Angeles on this date in 1982, the possibility of a Cardinals - Dodgers NLCS ultimately never materialized. That one may or may not have turned out so well for the Redbirds.
We'll never know, but it's always fun to consider the possibilities.
After the Cardinals jumped on Dodgers starter Jerry Reuss (12-10) for four runs in the third-inning, Forsch kept LA at bay through seven innings, holding a 5-1 lead entering the eighth. After yielding a run on two hits while retiring one batter, manager Whitey Herzog brought in relief specialist Bruce Sutter to nail the win down. Although an inherited runner scored on a two-base hit, making the score 5-3, Sutter was able to retire the next two batters to end the threat. The Cardinals made things easy for Bruce by plating six runs of their own in the bottom half of the eighth-inning, aided by more sloppy Dodgers defense.
Preserving an 11-3 win for the Cards may have been the easiest save (27) of Sutter's career. Still, by today's standards, a five-out save is considered almost heroic; perhaps even a bit desperate. Nowadays, most teams have specialists to nail down the final three innings. Herzog used Sutter in the highest leverage situations, and more often than not, the National League's premier closer and his remarkable split-fingered fastball delivered the save. In this particular outing, the future Hall of Fame relief ace struck out four batters in 1.2 innings of work. He allowed two hits (both doubles), walked none, and was charged with no runs. The Dodgers managed nine hits in the game, but with no free passes and no fielding miscues to capitalize on, they were unable to muster enough offense to threaten the future World Series champions.
The Redbirds dropped the final two games of the series at Busch Stadium to the Dodgers; the season series went LA's way as well in 1982, with the Cards winning five games, while losing seven. As it played out, the Atlanta Braves barely slipped past the Dodgers by a single game in the NL West that year, so it would be Atlanta - not LA - advancing to the NLCS to face the Cardinals. The Braves had to feel confident squaring off against the Redbirds, as they also held the edge in the season series - winning seven of the eleven games; however, the postseason is a different animal, and the Cards became beasts in sweeping Atlanta out of the postseason in three exciting NLCS games.
Whether or not the Cardinals would have whipped the Dodgers in a postseason showdown, as well, is anybody's guess. The showdown between the two iconic franchises would have to wait three years to become a reality. That one went decisively in favor of the Cards, four games to two. Many considered the 1985 edition of the Cardinals to be even better than the World Champions of 1982. Maybe Herzog's '82 squad got a bit lucky in the postseason; maybe not so lucky in '85.
Thanks to this shellacking administered by St Louis to Los Angeles on this date in 1982, the possibility of a Cardinals - Dodgers NLCS ultimately never materialized. That one may or may not have turned out so well for the Redbirds.
We'll never know, but it's always fun to consider the possibilities.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
August 21, 1964: This Date in St Louis Cardinals Championship History
August 21, 1964: In an improbable season that seemed destined for disappointment by late August, the St Louis Cardinals pulled one out of the fire against the San Francisco Giants at Candlestick Park - scoring three runs in the top of the ninth-inning en route to an improbable 6-5 comeback win. Thanks to a couple of errors by the host Giants, the Redbirds were the beneficiaries of two unearned runs in the game; including the go-ahead run in the fateful ninth, which proved to be the margin of victory.
The Cardinals survived a disastrous starting pitching performance by the normally reliable veteran Curt Simmons, who coughed up four runs on five hits in just 1.2 innings pitched. They also survived a game that unreliable back-up catcher/comedian Bob Uecker started in place of the reliable Tim McCarver - and true to form, Uecks was hitless in two official at bats (he did manage a base on balls, however), and just for good measure, had a passed ball to add to his leger. Just another day in the office for Bob.
In a game that was dominated early by the Giants, as they forged a 5-2 lead after three-innings, featuring home runs by Jim Hart and Orlando Cepeda; notably absent from the offensive effort was a rare 0 for 4 day at the plate from the great Willie Mays. Unfortunately for San Francisco, the Cardinals' bullpen held them in check during the final six-innings, as the Redbirds' defense played errorless ball (passed balls aren't errors, for some reason). The fourth Cardinals' pitcher - Ron Taylor - entered the game in the eighth-inning, inheriting runners on first and second with no outs. After quickly inducing a double play grounder and retiring the next batter to prevent any San Francisco scoring, the stage was set for the dramatic comeback that would give Taylor (6-3) his well-deserved and highly improbable win.
The big run-producer for the game was future '64 NL MVP Ken Boyer, who drove in three runs; but the unlikeliest of heroes for St Louis was the light-hitting Dal Maxvill, who delivered a key two-out ninth-inning single, which plated a run; but most importantly, kept the game alive for the next batter - Mike Shannon - to deliver another clutch hit that drove in the game-tying run; and when the relay from the outfield was mishandled by second baseman Hal Lanier, Maxvill also crossed the plate with the deciding unearned run.
Strangely enough, the Redbirds appeared to be Dead Birds after Boyer grounded out in that big ninth-inning, with Lou Brock on second base; but there were now two outs and the Cardinals trailed 5-3. The "win expectancy" at that moment was a scant three percent for the good guys. San Francisco elected to intentionally walk Bill White, which put the potential tying run on base, but that's when Maxie shocked the faithful gathering at Candlestick Park by stroking a run-scoring single to left field.
With the ancient knuckleball specialist Barney Schultz on the mound to face the heart of the Giants' order in the bottom of the ninth - Harvey Kuenn, Duke Snider and Willie Mays - the game appeared to be in jeopardy; however, two quick ground outs and a pop up by Mays to our hero Maxvill at shortstop ended the contest.
At the end of the day, St Louis (65-56) sat in 4th-place in the National League - a distant ten games behind the first-place Phillies, two and a half games behind the second-place Reds, and now just one and a half games behind the shell-shocked Giants. At the time, the significance of this game seemed on par with a typical Spring Training contest. The race for the National League pennant was "over" - or so they all thought. Wrong.
St Louis finished off the remaining 41 games of the regular season with a NL-best 28-13 (.683) record. In contrast, Philadelphia stumbled in with a dismal 17-24 (.415) finish - highlighted by a bizarre ten-game losing streak - which conveniently left them exactly one game behind the Redbirds after Game 162. Cardinal baseball historians may conclude that the unlikely outcome of Game 121 - this wildly bizarre one-run victory over the Giants - may have been the biggest win of the year.
The Cardinals survived a disastrous starting pitching performance by the normally reliable veteran Curt Simmons, who coughed up four runs on five hits in just 1.2 innings pitched. They also survived a game that unreliable back-up catcher/comedian Bob Uecker started in place of the reliable Tim McCarver - and true to form, Uecks was hitless in two official at bats (he did manage a base on balls, however), and just for good measure, had a passed ball to add to his leger. Just another day in the office for Bob.
In a game that was dominated early by the Giants, as they forged a 5-2 lead after three-innings, featuring home runs by Jim Hart and Orlando Cepeda; notably absent from the offensive effort was a rare 0 for 4 day at the plate from the great Willie Mays. Unfortunately for San Francisco, the Cardinals' bullpen held them in check during the final six-innings, as the Redbirds' defense played errorless ball (passed balls aren't errors, for some reason). The fourth Cardinals' pitcher - Ron Taylor - entered the game in the eighth-inning, inheriting runners on first and second with no outs. After quickly inducing a double play grounder and retiring the next batter to prevent any San Francisco scoring, the stage was set for the dramatic comeback that would give Taylor (6-3) his well-deserved and highly improbable win.
The big run-producer for the game was future '64 NL MVP Ken Boyer, who drove in three runs; but the unlikeliest of heroes for St Louis was the light-hitting Dal Maxvill, who delivered a key two-out ninth-inning single, which plated a run; but most importantly, kept the game alive for the next batter - Mike Shannon - to deliver another clutch hit that drove in the game-tying run; and when the relay from the outfield was mishandled by second baseman Hal Lanier, Maxvill also crossed the plate with the deciding unearned run.
Strangely enough, the Redbirds appeared to be Dead Birds after Boyer grounded out in that big ninth-inning, with Lou Brock on second base; but there were now two outs and the Cardinals trailed 5-3. The "win expectancy" at that moment was a scant three percent for the good guys. San Francisco elected to intentionally walk Bill White, which put the potential tying run on base, but that's when Maxie shocked the faithful gathering at Candlestick Park by stroking a run-scoring single to left field.
With the ancient knuckleball specialist Barney Schultz on the mound to face the heart of the Giants' order in the bottom of the ninth - Harvey Kuenn, Duke Snider and Willie Mays - the game appeared to be in jeopardy; however, two quick ground outs and a pop up by Mays to our hero Maxvill at shortstop ended the contest.
At the end of the day, St Louis (65-56) sat in 4th-place in the National League - a distant ten games behind the first-place Phillies, two and a half games behind the second-place Reds, and now just one and a half games behind the shell-shocked Giants. At the time, the significance of this game seemed on par with a typical Spring Training contest. The race for the National League pennant was "over" - or so they all thought. Wrong.
St Louis finished off the remaining 41 games of the regular season with a NL-best 28-13 (.683) record. In contrast, Philadelphia stumbled in with a dismal 17-24 (.415) finish - highlighted by a bizarre ten-game losing streak - which conveniently left them exactly one game behind the Redbirds after Game 162. Cardinal baseball historians may conclude that the unlikely outcome of Game 121 - this wildly bizarre one-run victory over the Giants - may have been the biggest win of the year.
Sunday, May 5, 2013
May 5, 2006: Cards Snap 13-Year Cinco De Mayo Losing Streak
May 5, 2006: Cinco De Mayo - the Mexican National holiday the St Louis Cardinals had celebrated each year by losing for thirteen consecutive years (1993-2005) - turned out to be a winner for the Redbirds seven years ago today, beating the Florida Marlins - in Florida, at their hideous old ballpark, before they moved to their hideous new ballpark, before they changed their name and uniforms, and before they spent millions of dollars on overpriced free agents that enabled them to finish last again in 2012 - by a score of 7-2. Strangely enough, the Cardinals (18-12) scored all 7 runs in one inning - the fifth. Inning cinco. Coincidence? Perhaps.
Strangely enough, the Cardinals scored those 7 runs on 11 hits on May 5, 2006, and they also scored 7 runs on 11 hits the last time they won a game on Cinco De Mayo - May 5, 1992 - 7-5 over the San Francisco Giants, at Busch Stadium II during the post-Whitey Herzog-pre Tony LaRussa - Joe Torre regime.
The significance of 7/11 is obvious. My birthday happens to be July 11. The significance of thirteen straight Cinco De Mayo losses became apparent the following year, when the Cardinals were defeated by the Houston Astros at Busch Stadium III, by a score of 13-0. Since that May 5, 2007 13-0 defeat, the Cardinals have won twice and lost three times on Cinco De Mayo. Their most recent May 5 victory was two years ago - in 2011- another World Championship year. In case you were wondering, the last time the Cardinals were World Champions prior to 2006 - in 1982 - the Redbirds were victorious on Cinco De Mayo, beating the Chicago Cubs in St Louis, by a score of 7-6. Somehow, they had 14 - not 11 - hits that day, so they obviously didn't get the memo.
Getting back to May 5, 2006 - Albert Pujols - who wore #5 - hit a three-run home run to start the fifth-inning hit parade. Backup catcher Gary Bennett had a two-run single, pitcher Jeff Suppan had a run-scoring single, and David Eckstein ended the scoring with a sacrifice fly which turned into a double play when Suppan (naturally) was thrown out trying to advance from first base to second base on the play. Base-running was never his forte.
Gary Bennett had a well-travelled 13-year career as a backup catcher, making stops in Philadelphia, New York, Colorado, San Diego, Milwaukee, Washington, St Louis, and Los Angeles, before retiring after the 2008 season. All told, he appeared in 587 games, including his one game career as a New York Met in 2001. He had one AB, got a single, then was traded to the Rockies. Gary Bennett can now tell his grandkids he had the highest career batting average in New York Mets history: 1.000.
That's all there is to know about Cinco De Mayo - the weirdest holiday in St Louis Cardinals history.
Update: Cinco De Mayo proved to be lucky for Mexican-born Jaime Garcia in 2013. After losing to the Houston Astros, May 5, 2012, Jaime tamed the Milwaukee Brewers one year later, as the Redbirds flew out of Milwaukee with a four-game series sweep after pounding the Brew Crew 10-1.
Yes, the Cardinals have quietly compiled the best record in the National League (20-11); but flying under the radar is what Cardinals do.
Strangely enough, the Cardinals scored those 7 runs on 11 hits on May 5, 2006, and they also scored 7 runs on 11 hits the last time they won a game on Cinco De Mayo - May 5, 1992 - 7-5 over the San Francisco Giants, at Busch Stadium II during the post-Whitey Herzog-pre Tony LaRussa - Joe Torre regime.
The significance of 7/11 is obvious. My birthday happens to be July 11. The significance of thirteen straight Cinco De Mayo losses became apparent the following year, when the Cardinals were defeated by the Houston Astros at Busch Stadium III, by a score of 13-0. Since that May 5, 2007 13-0 defeat, the Cardinals have won twice and lost three times on Cinco De Mayo. Their most recent May 5 victory was two years ago - in 2011- another World Championship year. In case you were wondering, the last time the Cardinals were World Champions prior to 2006 - in 1982 - the Redbirds were victorious on Cinco De Mayo, beating the Chicago Cubs in St Louis, by a score of 7-6. Somehow, they had 14 - not 11 - hits that day, so they obviously didn't get the memo.
Getting back to May 5, 2006 - Albert Pujols - who wore #5 - hit a three-run home run to start the fifth-inning hit parade. Backup catcher Gary Bennett had a two-run single, pitcher Jeff Suppan had a run-scoring single, and David Eckstein ended the scoring with a sacrifice fly which turned into a double play when Suppan (naturally) was thrown out trying to advance from first base to second base on the play. Base-running was never his forte.
Gary Bennett had a well-travelled 13-year career as a backup catcher, making stops in Philadelphia, New York, Colorado, San Diego, Milwaukee, Washington, St Louis, and Los Angeles, before retiring after the 2008 season. All told, he appeared in 587 games, including his one game career as a New York Met in 2001. He had one AB, got a single, then was traded to the Rockies. Gary Bennett can now tell his grandkids he had the highest career batting average in New York Mets history: 1.000.
That's all there is to know about Cinco De Mayo - the weirdest holiday in St Louis Cardinals history.
Update: Cinco De Mayo proved to be lucky for Mexican-born Jaime Garcia in 2013. After losing to the Houston Astros, May 5, 2012, Jaime tamed the Milwaukee Brewers one year later, as the Redbirds flew out of Milwaukee with a four-game series sweep after pounding the Brew Crew 10-1.
Yes, the Cardinals have quietly compiled the best record in the National League (20-11); but flying under the radar is what Cardinals do.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
May 4, 1926: Cards Win "Must Win" Game vs Reds
May 4, 1926: With Branch Rickey as field manager, the St Louis Cardinals began the 1925 season with a miserable 13-25 record. When Rickey left the dugout for the front office, the Cardinals finished the season with a 64-51 record with player-manager Rogers Hornsby at the helm. Apparently, taking on the added responsibility as field manager didn't seem to distract the National League's greatest hitter, who responded by winning the Triple Crown (.403 BA/39 HR/143 RBI). Although the Redbirds ended the season in 4th-place with a 77-76 record - 18 games behind the 1st-place Pittsburgh Pirates - there was reason to be optimistic for the future, based on how the team had improved after the managerial change.
Unfortunately, the Cardinals stumbled out of the gate early in the '26 season. After dropping the first game of a three-game series at home versus the Cincinnati Reds (10-7), the Redbirds had lost five games in a row to fall three games under .500 (8-11) - and appeared well on their way to a sixth straight loss when Cards starter Walt Huntzinger was quickly tagged for five hits, putting the Cardinals in a 2-0 hole by the third-inning; threatening to break the game open.
Hornsby had seen enough, summoning reliever Hi Bell in to get out of the jam with no further damage. Bell did just that, keeping the score at 2-0, while stranding the bases full of Reds. However, the Redbirds still had their work cut out for them, as Cincinnati had their ace on the mound - Adolfo Domingo de Guzman Luque aka Dolf Luque - "The Pride of Havana". Luque was a terrific pitcher (career 3.24 ERA) who would probably be in the Hall of Fame if he had pitched for those great Yankees teams of the Roaring Twenties, when he was in his prime. Instead, he labored in relative obscurity in Cincinnati for most of his career.
Luque managed to keep the Redbirds scoreless until the fifth-inning, when catcher Bob O'Farrell led off with a triple and one out later, scored on a single by pitcher Hi Bell - who was becoming a hero by this time. Bell continued blanking the Reds while the Cardinals were able to get something started in the bottom of the eighth, on a tiring 35-year old Luque. A two-out single by Jim Bottomley was followed by Chick Hafey's double down the right field line. Third baseman Les Bell (no relation to Hi) followed that with a two-RBI single that proved to be the game winner, as the other Bell retired the side in the top of the ninth to preserve the win.
During the course of any season, games that are won or lost in May are often forgotten. However, this St Louis victory over Cincinnati came at a time when the team was struggling. In fact, they would lose the rubber game of the series the next day, and then lose three out of four at home to the Brooklyn Dodgers, while Cincinnati was at home winning three out of four against the Philadelphia Phillies. After 25 games, St Louis (10-15) trailed Cincinnati (16-9) by six games. That would prove to be the low point of the season for the Redbirds, who went 79-50 the rest of the way, to edge the Reds by a slim 2-game margin.
Without this May 4 game in the win column, St Louis would have finished the season at 88-66 - tied with the Cincinnati Reds for first place in the National League; forcing a three-game NL championship series, with the winner taking on the mighty - and well-rested - New York Yankees.
So yes, for all practical purposes, the May 4, 1926 game was a "must win" for the Cardinals; although they really didn't know it at the time since they probably didn't have a crystal ball at their disposal.
Unfortunately, the Cardinals stumbled out of the gate early in the '26 season. After dropping the first game of a three-game series at home versus the Cincinnati Reds (10-7), the Redbirds had lost five games in a row to fall three games under .500 (8-11) - and appeared well on their way to a sixth straight loss when Cards starter Walt Huntzinger was quickly tagged for five hits, putting the Cardinals in a 2-0 hole by the third-inning; threatening to break the game open.
Hornsby had seen enough, summoning reliever Hi Bell in to get out of the jam with no further damage. Bell did just that, keeping the score at 2-0, while stranding the bases full of Reds. However, the Redbirds still had their work cut out for them, as Cincinnati had their ace on the mound - Adolfo Domingo de Guzman Luque aka Dolf Luque - "The Pride of Havana". Luque was a terrific pitcher (career 3.24 ERA) who would probably be in the Hall of Fame if he had pitched for those great Yankees teams of the Roaring Twenties, when he was in his prime. Instead, he labored in relative obscurity in Cincinnati for most of his career.
Luque managed to keep the Redbirds scoreless until the fifth-inning, when catcher Bob O'Farrell led off with a triple and one out later, scored on a single by pitcher Hi Bell - who was becoming a hero by this time. Bell continued blanking the Reds while the Cardinals were able to get something started in the bottom of the eighth, on a tiring 35-year old Luque. A two-out single by Jim Bottomley was followed by Chick Hafey's double down the right field line. Third baseman Les Bell (no relation to Hi) followed that with a two-RBI single that proved to be the game winner, as the other Bell retired the side in the top of the ninth to preserve the win.
During the course of any season, games that are won or lost in May are often forgotten. However, this St Louis victory over Cincinnati came at a time when the team was struggling. In fact, they would lose the rubber game of the series the next day, and then lose three out of four at home to the Brooklyn Dodgers, while Cincinnati was at home winning three out of four against the Philadelphia Phillies. After 25 games, St Louis (10-15) trailed Cincinnati (16-9) by six games. That would prove to be the low point of the season for the Redbirds, who went 79-50 the rest of the way, to edge the Reds by a slim 2-game margin.
Without this May 4 game in the win column, St Louis would have finished the season at 88-66 - tied with the Cincinnati Reds for first place in the National League; forcing a three-game NL championship series, with the winner taking on the mighty - and well-rested - New York Yankees.
So yes, for all practical purposes, the May 4, 1926 game was a "must win" for the Cardinals; although they really didn't know it at the time since they probably didn't have a crystal ball at their disposal.
Friday, May 3, 2013
May 3, 1942: 9 Unearned Runs Helps Redbirds Sweep Doubleheader Over Brooklyn Dodgers
May 3, 1942: When the Brooklyn Dodgers (14-5) arrived in St Louis prior to a three-game series with the Cardinals, they were scuffling a bit; having just lost two straight in Pittsburgh against a mediocre Pirates team. Still, they held a comfortable 4.5 game lead over the Redbirds (8-8), who were scuffling more than just a bit, themselves.
The first two games of this series were played on a beautiful Sunday afternoon at Sportsman's Park - a doubleheader that would ultimately control the destiny for both teams. As it played out, the Redbirds were able to win both games over the Dodgers (14-10 and 4-2) en route to a franchise-best 106-48 (.688) record. The Dodgers would finish in second-place with their franchise-best 104-50 (.675) record - usually good enough to win a pennant; just not this year. From a historical perspective, from 1901 to 1941, there were only twelve MLB league champions (out of 82) that had won 104 or more games, and no National League team had done it since the 1910 Chicago Cubs; so, it's easy to understand the frustration the Dodgers must have felt when they came up just a couple games short that year; especially if they think about the first game of this doubleheader - the one that got away.
The doubleheader sweep by the Cardinals didn't seem like such a big deal at the time (the second game was rained-out after six-innings, as Max Lanier picked up the win). Sure, the Cards picked up a couple of games in the standings, but the season had a long way to go, and Brooklyn managed to salvage the series finale the next day by a 3-1 score. Still, when a pennant is decided by such a slim margin, it's very easy to pinpoint one or two plays in a single game that changed the destinies for the two teams fighting it out.
Such was the case in the first game of the doubleheader. The box score reveals the twists and turns this game took. St Louis scored 14 runs on 11 hits and no errors; Brooklyn scored 10 runs on 15 hits and committed two errors. Normally, a couple of errors doesn't change the entire outcome of a game. In this case, it most certainly did. As a result, it changed the entire outcome of the NL pennant race. Instead of winning 106 games, the Cardinals would have only won 105 games had the Dodgers played error-free ball on May 3. Coincidentally, the Dodgers would have won 105 games, as well, resulting in a first-place tie; resulting in a three-game playoff for the NL pennant.
Here's what happened: Brooklyn's starting pitcher, Whit Wyatt (a 19 game winner in '42) was only able to get two guys out in the bottom of the first-inning, after yielding five runs on two walks and three hits - one of those hits was a home run. He did manage to strike out one batter, so he probably had decent stuff that day. He was victimized by an infield fielding miscue by none other than future Hall of Fame shortstop Peewee Reese. Instead of getting the third out of the inning with no runs scoring, backup catcher Ken O'Dea was allowed to hit with the bases loaded - the result: Grand Salami (which capped off the scoring)!. Because of the error, all five runs were unearned. Still, Wyatt's day was over before he really had a chance to get going, as reliever Ed Head was brought in to restore order.
Instead, Head only put gasoline on the fire: 2 IP - 6 Hits - 5 Runs (All Earned) - 2 BB - 2 SO
The score after three innings: Cardinals 10 - Dodgers 2
After a five-run fourth and a three-run fifth, the Dodgers had come back to tie the score, 10-10! The culprits who blew the eight-run lead the Cardinals once held:
Harry Gumbert (3.2 IP - 6 Hits - 7 Runs [All Earned] - 2 BB - 2 SO)
Johnny Beazley (1 IP - 4 Hits - 3 Runs [All Earned] - 0 BB - 1 SO)
The game remained deadlocked until the Cardinals scored four unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh-inning on two hits five walks and an error by Dodgers' second baseman Billy Herman - another normally sure-handed infielder.
Cards' reliever Ernie White prevented any further Brooklyn scoring, with 4.1 innings of shutout pitching.
All told, of the 14 runs the Cardinals pushed across in this game - 9 were unearned. All 10 of the runs the Dodgers scored were earned. Of course, errors are a part of the game; in this particular instance a very big part of the game.
It not only impacted the result of the first game of this doubleheader; it may have completely altered the course of MLB history. Had there been a three-game playoff to decide the NL pennant winner, which team would have prevailed? Would there have been a dramatic come-from-behind ninth-inning pennant-winning home run which would pre-date the Shot Heard 'Round the World by nine years? With a possibly depleted pitching staff in the aftermath of a possible three-game playoff for the pennant, would either team have been able to handle the Yankees in the World Series?
Now that I think about it, Peewee Reese, Billy Herman, and Ken O'Dea were meant to do what they did 71 years ago today.
The first two games of this series were played on a beautiful Sunday afternoon at Sportsman's Park - a doubleheader that would ultimately control the destiny for both teams. As it played out, the Redbirds were able to win both games over the Dodgers (14-10 and 4-2) en route to a franchise-best 106-48 (.688) record. The Dodgers would finish in second-place with their franchise-best 104-50 (.675) record - usually good enough to win a pennant; just not this year. From a historical perspective, from 1901 to 1941, there were only twelve MLB league champions (out of 82) that had won 104 or more games, and no National League team had done it since the 1910 Chicago Cubs; so, it's easy to understand the frustration the Dodgers must have felt when they came up just a couple games short that year; especially if they think about the first game of this doubleheader - the one that got away.
The doubleheader sweep by the Cardinals didn't seem like such a big deal at the time (the second game was rained-out after six-innings, as Max Lanier picked up the win). Sure, the Cards picked up a couple of games in the standings, but the season had a long way to go, and Brooklyn managed to salvage the series finale the next day by a 3-1 score. Still, when a pennant is decided by such a slim margin, it's very easy to pinpoint one or two plays in a single game that changed the destinies for the two teams fighting it out.
Such was the case in the first game of the doubleheader. The box score reveals the twists and turns this game took. St Louis scored 14 runs on 11 hits and no errors; Brooklyn scored 10 runs on 15 hits and committed two errors. Normally, a couple of errors doesn't change the entire outcome of a game. In this case, it most certainly did. As a result, it changed the entire outcome of the NL pennant race. Instead of winning 106 games, the Cardinals would have only won 105 games had the Dodgers played error-free ball on May 3. Coincidentally, the Dodgers would have won 105 games, as well, resulting in a first-place tie; resulting in a three-game playoff for the NL pennant.
Here's what happened: Brooklyn's starting pitcher, Whit Wyatt (a 19 game winner in '42) was only able to get two guys out in the bottom of the first-inning, after yielding five runs on two walks and three hits - one of those hits was a home run. He did manage to strike out one batter, so he probably had decent stuff that day. He was victimized by an infield fielding miscue by none other than future Hall of Fame shortstop Peewee Reese. Instead of getting the third out of the inning with no runs scoring, backup catcher Ken O'Dea was allowed to hit with the bases loaded - the result: Grand Salami (which capped off the scoring)!. Because of the error, all five runs were unearned. Still, Wyatt's day was over before he really had a chance to get going, as reliever Ed Head was brought in to restore order.
Instead, Head only put gasoline on the fire: 2 IP - 6 Hits - 5 Runs (All Earned) - 2 BB - 2 SO
The score after three innings: Cardinals 10 - Dodgers 2
After a five-run fourth and a three-run fifth, the Dodgers had come back to tie the score, 10-10! The culprits who blew the eight-run lead the Cardinals once held:
Harry Gumbert (3.2 IP - 6 Hits - 7 Runs [All Earned] - 2 BB - 2 SO)
Johnny Beazley (1 IP - 4 Hits - 3 Runs [All Earned] - 0 BB - 1 SO)
The game remained deadlocked until the Cardinals scored four unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh-inning on two hits five walks and an error by Dodgers' second baseman Billy Herman - another normally sure-handed infielder.
Cards' reliever Ernie White prevented any further Brooklyn scoring, with 4.1 innings of shutout pitching.
All told, of the 14 runs the Cardinals pushed across in this game - 9 were unearned. All 10 of the runs the Dodgers scored were earned. Of course, errors are a part of the game; in this particular instance a very big part of the game.
It not only impacted the result of the first game of this doubleheader; it may have completely altered the course of MLB history. Had there been a three-game playoff to decide the NL pennant winner, which team would have prevailed? Would there have been a dramatic come-from-behind ninth-inning pennant-winning home run which would pre-date the Shot Heard 'Round the World by nine years? With a possibly depleted pitching staff in the aftermath of a possible three-game playoff for the pennant, would either team have been able to handle the Yankees in the World Series?
Now that I think about it, Peewee Reese, Billy Herman, and Ken O'Dea were meant to do what they did 71 years ago today.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
May 2, 1967: Gibson Shuts Out Reds to End 4 Game Slide
May 2, 1967: Bob Gibson hates losing. In his previous start against Houston at the Astrodome, he was trying to protect a slim 2-0 seventh-inning lead. After two hits and a walk loaded the bases with nobody out in that fateful inning, Gibson's night was over. Unfortunately for Gibby and the Cardinals, the bullpen was unable to get out of this predicament, as the Redbirds went down to defeat. As if that weren't bad enough, that was the start of a four-game losing streak which knocked St Louis (9-7) out of first place.
The team that had taken over the top spot in the National League - the Cincinnati Reds (15-5) - just happened to be in town for a brief two-game series, with their ace, Jim Maloney matched-up against an extra-surly Bob Gibson. The Reds never had a chance.
The only run Gibson would need all night came across in the bottom of the second-inning when Tim McCarver led-off with a single to right field, moved up to second base on a Mike Shannon ground-out, stole third, then came home on one of three wild pitches Maloney would deliver in his 5.2 innings of futile work.
In the meantime, Gibson was mowing down the Reds as if they were little leaguers - striking out six in a row at one point, and not yielding a hit until Vada Pinson led off the top of the fifth with a double down the right field line. Pete Rose did his job by moving Pinson to third with a ground-out to second base. With the tying run 90 feet away, Gibson struck out Tony Perez for the second straight time, then retired Deron Johnson on an easy infield pop-up to end the threat.
The Redbirds blew the game open with two outs in the bottom of the fifth, when Maloney couldn't find the strike zone. Both Roger Maris and Orlando Cepeda walked. Maloney then uncorked the second of three wild pitches, before walking McCarver to load the bases. Mike Shannon then cleared them with a double down the left field line. Just for good measure, the Cardinals tacked on another run the next inning, when Roger Maris singled in Bob Gibson, who had walked.
The top of the sixth-inning was uneventful, with one oddity worth noting: Gordy Coleman pinch hit for Tony Perez - a future Hall of Famer who would be an RBI machine during the heyday of the Big Red Machine. Gordy Coleman was at the tail end of a nice career but he only had eight plate appearances all year, with one base on balls and no hits to his credit. Although he failed to get a hit off Gibson this night, at least he didn't strike out. Perez later admitted that whenever he came up to bat against Gibby over the years, his wife would always make a trip to the ladies room; she simply couldn't bear to watch it.
On this early-May evening in St Louis, Perez had lots of company - the entire Reds lineup could only muster four base runners all night off Gibson - two hits and two walks - and no runs. They struck out twelve times that night, while being shutout for the second time in the young season. It was Gibson's most dominant performance all year, and it came at a time when the team needed it the most.
The next evening, Cards pitcher Ray Washburn shut them out again, moving St Louis just two games behind Cincinnati - who were at least able to salvage three of the next five road games in Atlanta and New York, to limp home still hanging on to first place; at least for a while.
The team that had taken over the top spot in the National League - the Cincinnati Reds (15-5) - just happened to be in town for a brief two-game series, with their ace, Jim Maloney matched-up against an extra-surly Bob Gibson. The Reds never had a chance.
The only run Gibson would need all night came across in the bottom of the second-inning when Tim McCarver led-off with a single to right field, moved up to second base on a Mike Shannon ground-out, stole third, then came home on one of three wild pitches Maloney would deliver in his 5.2 innings of futile work.
In the meantime, Gibson was mowing down the Reds as if they were little leaguers - striking out six in a row at one point, and not yielding a hit until Vada Pinson led off the top of the fifth with a double down the right field line. Pete Rose did his job by moving Pinson to third with a ground-out to second base. With the tying run 90 feet away, Gibson struck out Tony Perez for the second straight time, then retired Deron Johnson on an easy infield pop-up to end the threat.
The Redbirds blew the game open with two outs in the bottom of the fifth, when Maloney couldn't find the strike zone. Both Roger Maris and Orlando Cepeda walked. Maloney then uncorked the second of three wild pitches, before walking McCarver to load the bases. Mike Shannon then cleared them with a double down the left field line. Just for good measure, the Cardinals tacked on another run the next inning, when Roger Maris singled in Bob Gibson, who had walked.
The top of the sixth-inning was uneventful, with one oddity worth noting: Gordy Coleman pinch hit for Tony Perez - a future Hall of Famer who would be an RBI machine during the heyday of the Big Red Machine. Gordy Coleman was at the tail end of a nice career but he only had eight plate appearances all year, with one base on balls and no hits to his credit. Although he failed to get a hit off Gibson this night, at least he didn't strike out. Perez later admitted that whenever he came up to bat against Gibby over the years, his wife would always make a trip to the ladies room; she simply couldn't bear to watch it.
On this early-May evening in St Louis, Perez had lots of company - the entire Reds lineup could only muster four base runners all night off Gibson - two hits and two walks - and no runs. They struck out twelve times that night, while being shutout for the second time in the young season. It was Gibson's most dominant performance all year, and it came at a time when the team needed it the most.
The next evening, Cards pitcher Ray Washburn shut them out again, moving St Louis just two games behind Cincinnati - who were at least able to salvage three of the next five road games in Atlanta and New York, to limp home still hanging on to first place; at least for a while.
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